News Release

Ikes Fire Progresses At Steady Pace

Map showing the Ikes Fire road and trail closures and containment area in relation to the north side of Grand Canyon National Park in its boundary with Kaibab Nat. Forest

News Release Date: August 18, 2019

Contact: NPS Contact: Brandalyn Vonk, 602-730-6144

Contact: USFS Contact: Jacqueline Banks, 928-635-8314

Contact: Ikes Fire Public Information Office, 928-638-7071

Grand Canyon, AZ – Over the years, fire managers from the National Park Service and U.S. Forest Service have developed and used effective tactics, technology, and policy to enhance public and firefighter safety, and preserve natural and cultural landscapes. Fire managers are meeting the objectives of allowing fire to play its natural role as a disturbance factor in the ecosystem, enhance wildlife habitat, improve forest health, and reduce potential for uncharacteristic high severity wildfires in future years.

Yesterday, the Ikes Fire grew to approximately 4,297 acres and has 87 resources assigned.  Despite gusty winds and dry conditions, the fire spread across the planning area with low to moderate fire behavior. At this time, the weather has not provided for any challenges due to firefighters completing firing operations across the east end of the fire planning area. 

Today firefighters will move along Swamp Ridge Road to utilize hand ignitions to remove vegetation and secure the perimeter line ahead of the advancing fire. Removing this excess vegetation from the forest floor reduces the amount of fuel available to the advancing fire which helps to keep fire behavior at low to moderate intensity. Depending on weather conditions, aerial ignitions may be utilized along ridge tops to create a backing fire and fill in areas that crews cannot safely access. Crews will patrol the fire perimeter, improve line, and mitigate hazard trees.
  
The weather will continue to be drier than normal with no chance of precipitation in the forecast. Light winds are expected out of the southwest at 8-10 mph with gusts up to 18 mph.  Smoke from the Ikes Fire, along with other fires in the area, will be visible throughout the surrounding area. For local air quality and related information, please visit the following websites: www.airnow.gov or the Smoke Management Division of the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality.

Closures remain in effect for the planning area of the Ikes Fire for Grand Canyon National Park and Kaibab National Forest. More information on these closures can be found at https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/closures/6475/.

The Ikes Fire poses no danger to structures or local infrastructure.

Please visit https://www.nps.gov/grca/learn/management/firemanagement.htm for additional information about wildland fire at Grand Canyon National Park or call 928-638-7819 for recorded fire information. For additional information about the Ikes fire, visit
https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6475/. 
 
For fire information on the Kaibab National Forest, visit www.fs.usda.gov/kaibab or
@KaibabNF on Facebook and Twitter or call [phone] for recorded fire information.